my london icks
a pause from this newsletter's focus on positivity
Happy Sunday, and welcome back to clipboard, a mostly weekly newsletter about doing your best. Today, sharing a few things that bother me in London for no reason.
This newsletter, in my head, is supposed to be about positivity. A celebration of earnestness, of trying your best, of good things in a world that’s falling apart.
This week, though, I’ve mostly been noticing stuff that bothers me for no reason.
Maybe it’s because the weather has turned bad, or perhaps gives away something about the deepest parts of my psyche. Anyway, I didn’t have anything positive for this part of the newsletter this week, and instead I decided just to take notice of some things that give me the ick going around London.
That list is below, in no particular order and with minimal explanation. Thoughts and feedback are welcomed in the comments or via email reply.
Pubs that serve beer in plastic cups
When someone rode their bike to a hang out and then has to walk it alongside them on the footpath
People who order a coffee in a takeaway cup even when they are sitting in
Run clubs with black and white merch
Run clubs with only men
Dirty white sneakers
Clean white sneakers
Those sneakers that get recommended on TikToks with titles like “what to buy if you don’t want to wear sambas like everyone else”
Finance bros whose suits don’t fit (perhaps a business opportunity for a stylist with patience)
Men in shiny suits and sneakers
Those backpacks that roll down on the top instead of just zipping up normally
Anywhere that people line up to take a photo of themselves with something
People who don’t make space on the footpath
Full outfits of clothes that have never been worn before
Now that’s off my chest, clips!
clips
New Magasin Menswear! Always a must read.
We went to the new Wes Anderson film, The Phoenician Scheme, and I loved it. All of Wes’s films are fun and beautifully made, but this was one where I also cared about the characters and relationships, like my absolute favourites of his. Strong recommend unless you can’t look past the corduroy suit vibes. If anyone wants to buy me an expensive and impractical gift for my birthday next month, the upcoming Wes Anderson archive from Criterion looks excellent. Next up: an hour of Wes explaining all of his movies on YouTube.
A natural follow on from my obsession with Idea’s caps, I really rate these new tees from Thames. My pick would be “IMAGINEER,” but if you’re a bit more comfortable with weird looks in public, I also love “SHOPLIFTER.”
The new season of Taskmaster is proving just as rollicking a good time as all of the other seasons, the best show if you just want an uncomplicated laugh every once in a while
I think my summer wardrobe is going to be dominated by polo shirts. I don’t own one at the moment and I find myself wishing I did multiple times a week. The Lady White Co ones are apparently the best, but I think I’ll just buy secondhand Ralph.
Could have made it to the icks list, but I went to TKMaxx last weekend, did not love it. Poundland, on the other hand, was a hit.
That’s all for clipboard this week, thanks for reading! See you back here next Sunday morning. In the meantime, I’d love it if you could share clipboard with your friend who is never mean to service workers. You can also get in touch with me any time on Instagram or just by hitting reply to this email. See you Sunday!